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From the Diet of Worms to the Augsburg Confession - James Aitken Wylie

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owed him as emperor.<br />

The next assault was directed against <strong>the</strong><br />

Protestant sermons. The crowds that ga<strong>the</strong>red<br />

round <strong>the</strong> preachers were as great as ever. The<br />

emperor was galled by <strong>the</strong> sight <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se<br />

enthusiastic multitudes, and all <strong>the</strong> more so that not<br />

more than a hundred <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> citizens <strong>of</strong> <strong>Augsburg</strong><br />

had joined in <strong>the</strong> grand procession <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> day<br />

previous, in which he himself had walked<br />

bareheaded, carrying a lighted taper. That <strong>the</strong><br />

heresy which he had crossed <strong>the</strong> Alps <strong>to</strong> extinguish<br />

should be proclaimed in a score <strong>of</strong> churches, and<br />

within earshot <strong>of</strong> him, was more than he could<br />

endure. He sent for <strong>the</strong> Lu<strong>the</strong>ran princes, and<br />

charged <strong>the</strong>m <strong>to</strong> enjoin silence on <strong>the</strong>ir preachers.<br />

The princes replied that <strong>the</strong>y could not live without<br />

<strong>the</strong> preaching <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Gospel, and that <strong>the</strong> citizens <strong>of</strong><br />

Augburg would not willingly consent <strong>to</strong> have <strong>the</strong><br />

churches closed. When Charles insisted that it<br />

should be so, <strong>the</strong> Margrave George exclaimed in<br />

animated <strong>to</strong>nes, "Ra<strong>the</strong>r than let <strong>the</strong> Word <strong>of</strong> God<br />

be taken from me, and deny my God, I would kneel<br />

down and have my head struck <strong>of</strong>f." And suiting<br />

406

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